I just loves me some good journalism. Apparently run support equals sneaky very good.

Yes, we know, Greinke had five more complete games and 141 more strikeouts than Saunders did, and their ERAs – 2.16 to 4.60 – are like comparing the GPAs of Harvard and the Marinello Schools of Beauty.

But the point is that Saunders has been very good – sneaky very good, really – in helping the Angels the past two seasons. Plus, he did beat the Royals and Greinke, 1-0, for his first career shutout last May.

Yeah, learn to win, Zack.

It's all about the wins!!!

Seriously, I thought maybe the Angels had a prospect named Saunders until I read the article and realized he was talling about Joe Saunders.

I hope this guy doesn't have a Hall of Fame vote.

Plus, he did beat the Royals and Greinke, 1-0, for his first career shutout last May.

Yes, but Zack had to face a MLB team, while Saunders got to face the Royals. Plus IRRC, the only Angels run happened when Jose Guillen misplayed a fairly routine flyball into a double, and the Angels small-balled it into the game's only run.

Oh, and Jose Jimenez no-hit Randy Johnson and the Diamondbacks once.

The thing is, Saunders is a pretty useful guy to have around, a pitcher who would be an asset to any team. This sort of article doesn't do him any favors, though.

I was hoping this would be about some hot-shot up-and-coming prospect that I hadn't heard of, not unremarkable mid-rotation poster boy Joe Saunders.

I thought it was some weird comparison between Michael Saunders and Greinke.

Didn't even consider Joe Saunders.

I thought it was some weird comparison between Saunders and Zach Kroenke.

While we're on the topic... Miller = Journalist? OK, no, but he uses a computer

Tim Lincecum also has 33 wins, 35 if you count his consecutive Cy Young Awards.

Cy Young won 511 games, infinity plus 511 if you count his being Cy Young.

I see this is Jeff Miller, not Sam Miller. Sam is a really strong writer for the OC Register while Jeff is a complete dolt.

If you get a chance, read some of the work of Sam Miller - pretty solid stuff...

Sam Miller, OC Register

Sam is a really strong writer for the OC Register while Jeff is a complete dolt.

Sam has done a tremendous pre-season series pointing out various interesting things of 25 different Angels; red-meat stuff for primates & Angel fans alike. Jeff has yet to write a piece that I didn't find idiotic.

I'm in no way defending the idea that Saunders and Grienke had comparable years last year. But I think a lot of people who probably don't see him pitch very much, and like to drool over peripherals probably underrate Saunders a bit. He had a very good year in 2008, and if you weren't paying attention (and many don't pay attention to the Angels, so that's not a character flaw or anything), you may have missed the fact that he had two pretty good parts of a season sandwiched around an injury that he tried to pitch through.

On the morning of June 30th, he was 8-4 with a 3.66 ERA, with about 2/1 K/BB ratio. He was lasting about 6.5 innings per start, and striking out about 5.5 per nine innings. He wasn't going to win the CY Young, but that's a pretty good #3 starter. Hell, that's a good #2 starter on a lot of teams.

From June 30th until August 7th, when he finally gave in and went on the DL, he was 4-4 with a 9.63 ERA. His strikouts were way down, his walks were way up, and he was getting drilled.

He came back on August 26th and went 7-0 with a 2.55 ERA in 49.1 IP. His K/9 and K/B ratios were back where they were in the fist half, and he was pretty much nails down the stretch.

So yeah, he's not Zach Grienke or Felix Hernandez or any of the other guys mentioned. But he's a better pitcher than his full season ERA showed last year. If he hadn't gotten hurt, his numbers likely would have looked a lot like his 2008 campaign.

Saunders was really good in his game against Greinke. That game put the Royals in a long funk -- it was like they were counting on Greinke being invincible, and they weren't sure what to do when he lost.

That game put the Royals in a long funk

I think the funk started long before Greinke showed up.

Royal's Long Funk would be a good handle. Hmmm. Nah.

Miller = Journalist? OK, no, but he uses a computer

Telegraph = Telephone? OK, no, but it can still be used to communicate over a long-distance.

That game put the Royals in a long funk

I believe Ewing Kauffman's death accomplished that.

Saunders success so far has come from throwing strikes and keeping the ball in the park. He didn't do such a great job with the latter last year and so that's probably where I'd be most worried as an Angels fan.

And as noted, Saunders led all pitchers with 160+ IP last year in run support and Greinke was second from the bottom. So yeah the wins thing is stupid, but then it usually is. It seemed like a dumb stat to me when I was 15 and it hasn't seemed to get any smarter as I get nearer to 40...

Oh, and Jose Jimenez no-hit Randy Johnson and the Diamondbacks once.

And then 2-hit them 2 starts later (I'd have sworn it was his next start but the game logs don't lie). It was pretty damned impressive. Game scores of 93 and 91. From June 13 to July 20 1999 (8 starts), he threw 56 IP, 2 CG, 44 K, 17 BB, a 502 OPS against and 3.36 ERA. He had a bad start in there and went only 3-3, but he seemed like a guy who'd figured something out and, surely, I tried to pick him up for my fantasy team (a true mark of pitching greatness!)

The rest of his 1999 -- nothing to brag about.